Fine early '68 show, nice clear recording.

More sterling '68 kool-aid jam - there is a rather laid-back, sort of 'coasting' sensation they bring to some of the jams that isn't necessarily in lieu of hard fretwork....it works on its own terms but compared to a lot of the rest of '68 it does feel mellow, in its own way; listen to the way they handle the Eleven (after that camel-through-the-needle's eye Dark Star!).

The back half picks up some energy with the post-Alligator jam, it gets into a fine groove - Caution never really picks up off the ground but has a decent amount of energy.

To darazn1 - in Phil's book he's pretty explicit about how, during the weekend after his 28th birthday - that would be March 15, 1968, he had his 20-second meltdown that caused Jerry to later throw him down that flight of stairs. They got through the 2/14/68 Caution as one of their all-time best performances, and here there seems to be a heavy slice of the jam missing - that train-whistle-feedback insanity arrives wayyyyy too abruptly....so this very well could be the show the incident took place and was unrecorded - difficult to say, given that throughout the jam different musicians are 'on' and 'off' throughout the jam - Jerry takes a few bars himself early on, Pigpen and the devils alone here and there, Pig and Bobby vocalizing it....

Now, Phil himself may have got the date wrong, but the point is: don't internet-"Ummmm" someone else unless you have to your credit a more accurate source of info. Phil's book is pretty precise, FWIW.

Speaking of that drum segue, thank goodness Mr. Miller had the good sense not to segregate each portion of TIFTOO onto it's own separate track as so many others do ("Cryptical, Drums, TOO, Cryptical"). What a buzz kill!

No.

2/14/68 has the jam where Phil stops playing.

They made it to the end of the set here. It's not the Anthem tape.

But man, does this ever sound great!

Out of the 20 or so Carousel shows in '68 this one is noted for possibly being used on Anthem of the Sun and for the brawl between Jer and Phil after Phil walked off during Caution.

It has a decent Dark Star (this plus >China>Eleven were used for the So Many Roads box though the latter were nothing above other '68s) and stellar versions of Good Morning Schoolgirl and Morning Dew. Otherwise it's average spring '68 (as opposed to, say, 2/14 or 2/23).

1st Set:  C+
2nd Set: C
2 1/2 Stars - average rating

Sets reviewed as presented on miller109944, the best source.

Very, very stong show with great sound. Aside from a vicious cut in TIFTOO, this could be another Road Trips. Also, if I'm not mistaken, this is the first time the boys used a drum segue between Cryptical and The Other One.

What's not too like from March 1968! Kazoos at the start of feedback!
Peace, Bob

The Dead didn't seem to put on any bad shows this year; always high energy and axploratory.
The highlight for me was the Alligator > Caution. Excellent China Cat as well.
Again, Chalie Miller has worked his magic.